Page 27 of Jessica and the Jarhead
“I don’t know,” she started, and my heart sank. She licked her lips and paused for too long. I could feel the tension building in my body. She was going to run again. “I don’t know what the future hold for us.”
“I hope it holds us,” I said quickly, heading off any ‘buts’ she might think to include. I didn’t want a future without her in it, and I hoped she was feeling the same.
“I have a business in Savannah, but I’ve been thinking about it and…” She stopped again and looked away. When she looked back, there was a new determination in her eyes. “My business is mostly online orders. I make videos to promote my soap and I can ship from anywhere.”
Hope bloomed in my chest.
“You don’t have to follow me anywhere,” I blurted. I meant it. If she wanted to stay in Savannah, I would make it happen.
“Your work is important.” She moved even closer to me and tucked her head into my neck. “I don’t want to be separated from you ever again.” Her voice sounded as desperate as I felt.
“Never, Angel, we never have to be separated again,” I said as I rubbed her back. “But you don’t have to leave Savannah. My contract is almost up and I have been working on building a new business for when I retire. What I’m saying is that I would have been on your doorstep begging for you to take me back with a plan to stay by your side.” I didn’t intend to reveal that, but I was glad it was out there. She needed to know what I would do for her.
“Really?” The hope and joy in her voice was exquisite.
“Really.”
“I love you. I would have taken you back.”
She leaned up and kissed me. It was sweet and slow and tasted of hope.
Epilogue
Jess
“He’s almost here.” I was pacing my living room. Grace and Anders cuddled on my couch and were watching something on the TV. I was very surprised to come back from our time in the snow to find out my cousin had a new man and seemed quite devoted to him.
We spent ten days trapped in the cabin while we waited for the roads to be clear enough to drive down. Charles and I had to shovel our own small road so we could reach the main road. I didn’t want to leave, but we were running out of food and life still went on.
By the end of our trip, we had a plan. He would serve out his time in the military, just six months, and I would fly out to him every weekend until it was done. I hated it. I hated saying goodbye to him every Sunday. After ten years apart, anything that kept us away from each other seemed like torture.
“I can’t believe he’s almost here,” I said again. Grace had insisted they come over and keep me company today. I had wanted to fly out to meet Charles and then drive with him here, but he called yesterday to say that he was leaving a week early.
The moving truck pulled up just as the sun was setting and I flew out the door of my small house and down the walk as Charles got out of the truck. I ran towards him and jumped intohis arms. Our lips met in a soul searing kiss, one that spoke of the time apart and promised a future together.
He was here.
He was finally home.
“Ahem,” a deep voice sounded from behind us.
“Anders, leave them alone. They’ve been separated for a long time,” Grace said. She was right, but I had forgotten all about them in my excitement to see Charles.
Seemingly reluctantly, Charles put me down. He didn’t let me go, though.
“Hi,” I said.
“Hi, angel.” He didn’t lift his eyes from me.
“I’m Grace,” she said from behind me. “And this is my boyfriend, Anders.”
“Oh, shit, yes. Grace is my cousin. They came to meet you and help unload the truck. I cleared out the garage and we can just put everything in there for now.” I said when I remembered they were there. Seeing him here, home, had erased everything from my head and I’d completely forgotten that we still needed to unload his moving truck before the night was through.
“Sounds good to me,” Charles said. He tucked a hair behind my ear and then let me go so he could open the truck. I felt the loss, but reminded myself that I would get as much of him as I could stand and then some for the rest of our lives.
“Anders and you have a lot in common,” Grace said. “He also served in the Marines.”
The boys started talking about their time in service, comparing notes, and learned that they had been in boot camp together.
